A Comment Worthy Of A Post 7-11-12

You don't know the half of it. SPD will decrease in manpower by 10% this month. Between retirements, promotions, and 6 people leaving to go to other agencies, the road patrol will be 8 people short. Salisbury, you only think you have problems now. Ireton has allowed your police department to be reduced to some ineffective, third rate security force. Oh, and they just gave away a huge amount of overtime work for it's officers by letting the State Police take all overtime assignments at the Mall. So now he won't even let them work overtime assignments paid for by the Center at Salisbury. Yes, no cost of living adjustment, no raise for who knows how long, take away their overtime, increase the amount they pay for employee health insurance which equates to a pay CUT, and surrounding agencies paying a lot more? I'd say your executive branch needs replacing. Maybe some of his administration too.

A Comment Worthy Of A Post 7-10-12

Wanna know the latest on Iretons's Petition? The software supporting the petition on change.org is VERY primitive and easy to exploit to see the internal workings. Just before the server crashed at 5:30 tonight Jim himself had signed at least 17 times using various names, three different people signed Joe Albero's name and it appears likely that there are approximately 120 to 140 legitimate names. All the rest are fakes or repeat signers.

Club For Growth Updates

“Spending Cuts Scorecard” Following Transportation and HUD Appropriations Bill

Scores among GOP members up four percentage points since launch of scorecard; Club for Growth vows to keep raising awareness

Washington, DC – The Club for Growth today updated its new Spending Cut Scorecard following House passage of the Transportation and HUD Appropriations Bill. The Spending Cut Scorecard is designed for the public and Club Members to track how members of the House of Representatives are voting on amendments to cut spending from FY13 appropriations bills. In the past, the Club for Growth tracked amendments to cut earmarks from appropriations bills, but recently noticed that many House members who ran on promises to cut spending have abandoned their pledges to do so.

The Club will update the Spending Cut Scorecard following the passage of every appropriations bill. To view the Spending Cut Scorecard, click here: www.ClubForGrowth.org/SpendingCutScorecard

Interesting statistics from the newly updated Spending Cuts Scorecard:

· Since the Club for Growth launched the Spending Cuts Scorecard, the average Republican Score increased by four percentage points from 59% to 63%. Scores of Republican Freshmen increased by five percentage points from 60% to 65%.

· The average Democrat score decreased from 6% to 4%.

· The biggest improvements in absolute scores among Republicans were Emerson (increased by 31%), Renacci (28%), Kingston (28%), Billbray (27%) and Ellmers (27%).

· The biggest declines among Republicans were Miller, Gary (decreased by 22%), McKeon (21%), Tipton (18%), Rehberg (12%), and Carter (12%).

· The biggest improvements in absolute scores among Democrats were Barrow (increased by 26%), McIntyre (18%), Matheson (17%), Cardoza (4%), and Perlmutter (3%).

· The biggest declines among Democrats were Kucinich (decreased by 20%), Rush (13%), Honda (11%), Carson (9%) and Moore (8%).

· Only 18 Republicans have voted for every spending cut (down from 20).

· 48 members of Congress have voted against every amendment to cut spending – all Democrats (down from 49 Democrats and one Republican).

“The Club for Growth intends to continue to hold members of Congress in both parties accountable for how they vote, not how they say they’re going to vote,” said Club for Growth President Chris Chocola. “The purpose of this Spending Cuts Scorecard is to prove that despite what the media has told the public, Republicans and Democrats are coming together in agreement…they want to spend more, not less. That has to change if we’re going to save America from fiscal ruin.”

Good Money After Bad: Obama's $50 Million Negative Ad Attack Fails to Move Polls

The Romney campaign today released data, including the spending chart above, showing that the Obama campaign has spent nearly $50 million on television ads, most of them negative, since Mitt Romney became the Republican nominee in April--outspending Romney three to one--and yet has failed to budge the national poll numbers.

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Daily Times Grapevine Comment Today

Salisbury Mall revisited

As I drove down Civic Avenue recently, I wondered why I haven't seen any Grapevine comments from the folks whose lives were being ruined by the sight of the old derelict Salisbury Mall. Now it's demolished and I assume their lives must be vastly improved. Their health is restored, their bills are all paid, their marriages are enhanced, they became fit and better-looking and their children must now be getting straight A's. We never hear from them anymore.

Report: Gov’t Overpaid $14B in Unemployment Benefits

You read that correctly: the feds and state governments overpaid approximately $14 billion in unemployment benefits last year, according to the U.S. Labor Department and CNN Money.

“Now, the U.S. Department of Labor and the states are in the midst of a massive effort to try to recoup some of their lost funds and avoid future overpayments,” writes Annalyn Censky for CNN Money.

So, um, where did all that cash go and how do the feds and state governments plan on getting it back? Let’s start with the first question.

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LIBOR Scandal May Be Biggest Bank Heist In History

It may go down as the biggest banking scandal in history, and yet many Americans have not even heard about it.

The LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) scandal is a big deal, and so far no one knows just how deep the ruse ran.   Put simply, the LIBOR rate is the rate at which banks get funds from other banks.  The scandal:  Barclays—and potentially other banks—allegedly tried to rig the rate.  So far, Barclays has paid $455 million in fines to U.S. and U.K. regulators.   



The LIBOR rate is a benchmark interest rate used to set an estimated $800 trillion in financial instruments.  That’s not a typo--$800 trillion.  As Christopher Barker of the Motley Fool financial blog explains: 

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Socialism Is A One-Way Street To Oblivion

We are all aware of the slippery slope that the profligate spending of our politicians has put our nation on, and those who are honest enough to admit it know that the mighty United States of America is headed for a fiscal disaster that, if our course is not drastically altered, will shake the very foundations of our stability and reduce the greatest nation the world has ever known to a Greece-like shell complete with social upheaval and worthless currency.

When we think about the ramifications of our decades of foolishness, we tend to be concerned about the social fall out, the unemployment, the effect on take home pay, the quality of life and the unpleasant and painful changes in America.

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NSA Will Not Read Americans' Emails If Bill Passes, Keith Alexander Claims

The head of the U.S. spy agency that eavesdrops on electronic communications overseas sought on Monday to reassure Americans that the National Security Agency would not read their personal email if a new cybersecurity law was enacted to allow private companies to share information with the government.

The House of Representatives in April approved a bill that would allow the government and companies to share information about hacking. But the White House and key Senate Democrats back a broader approach.

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‘Absolutely Ridiculous’: Middle-Aged Couple Reportedly Spends 23 Hours in Custody After Dancing at NYC Subway Platform

Caroline Stern, 55, and her boyfriend George Hess, 54, reportedly spent 23 hours in police custody after dancing at a nearly-empty subway station in New York City.

“I’m a dentist, and I’m 55, and I got arrested for dancing,” the woman told the New York Post. “It was absolutely ridiculous that this happened.”

So what’s the back-story?

Watch Fox’s recap of the event, featuring a picture of the happy couple: HERE

Political Spending by Unions Far Exceeds Direct Donations

Organized labor spends about four times as much on politics and lobbying as generally thought, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis, a finding that shines a light on an aspect of labor's political activity that has often been overlooked.

Previous estimates have focused on labor unions' filings with federal election officials, which chronicle contributions made directly to federal candidates and union spending in support of candidates for Congress and the White House.

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Boy Forced to Get Cancer-Causing Treatment?

A hearing is scheduled before the Michigan Court of Appeals on Wednesday in a fight by the state Department of Human Services to forcibly administer more cancer-causing drugs to a child who was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, but following an earlier round of treatments has been declared either “in remission” or cured.

The case could be a foreshadowing of the decision-making process that soon will become mandatory under Obamacare.

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Obama Administration Takes Credit for Inspiring Lexus Hybrid SUV--Which Began Production in 2004

The Obama administration is taking credit for inspiring Lexus to create a hybrid SUV--even though the automobile company began the well-publicized production of its RX 400h SUV hybrid in 2004--four full years before Obama was elected.

A timeline of the auto company's history, posted on its website, says: "2004-The first production SUV hybrid, the RX 400h, debuts with Lexus Hybrid Drive. U.S. Lexus sales reach two million."

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WILNER CLAUDIMA MONCHER CONVICTED OF 2nd DEGREE RAPE AND SEX ABUSE OF A MINOR BY A WICOMICO COUNTY JURY

On July 10, 2012, a Wicomico County jury found Wilner Claudima Moncher, age 35, guilty of Child Sex Abuse, Incest, and two counts of Second Degree Rape. The charges against Moncher originated from an investigation conducted by the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) into allegations that a female child had been sexually abused. Moncher now faces a maximum of sixty five (65) years in the custody of the Department of Corrections.

Wicomico County State’s Attorney Matthew A. Maciarello commended the partners of the Child Advocacy Center (Department of Social Services, Child Protective Services, Life Crisis Center, Wicomico County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, Salisbury City Police) for their assistance in the prosecution of this case.

Volunteers Clean Up Arlington National Cemetery

The rain that fell on Arlington National Cemetery on Monday did not wash away the excitement and gratitude of hundreds of volunteers who worked to beautify the solemn resting place of fallen soldiers.

Nearly 400 adults, accompanied by 48 of their children, took the day off from landscaping companies in 29 states to help beautify the grounds at the famous cemetery. Adults pruned and braced trees, aerated soil and put down lime, while the children planted perennials. A local horticulturalist also was on hand to teach the children about the caterpillars and other insects they found.

Heather Huddleston, a volunteer from Windermere, Fla., explained the significance of the cemetery to her son Carter, 8.

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The Rich: Chicago Abortionist Collects $3.1 Million In Medicaid Reimbursements–In One Year

According to a Crain’s Business report, Dr. Caroline Hoke received $3.1 million dollars in Medicaid reimbursements in the 2009 fiscal year for abortion services.  The Chicago based abortionist was the second-highest paid in the state.  Dr. Hoke is also the acting medical director of Planned Parenthood of Illinois.

The Illinois Medicaid inspector general is now looking into the billing practices of Dr. Hoke.  The investigation was brought on not only by the astronomical amount of reimbursement Dr. Hoke received but also due to the suspicious drop-off in payments one year later.

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City Council Meeting Audio From Last Night

Audio-July 9, 2012 - Council Meeting

If this link above doesn't work above, GO HERE and look on the right hand side of the site and click on the link with the same title. This is somehting you're going to want to listen to. You'll want to scroll forward to about the 50 minute mark. THAT'S when it gets really good!

Report: 83 Percent of Doctors Have Considered Quitting over Obamacare

Eighty-three percent of American physicians have considered leaving their practices over President Barack Obama’s health care reform law, according to a survey released by the Doctor Patient Medical Association.

The DPMA, a non-partisan association of doctors and patients, surveyed a random selection of 699 doctors nationwide. The survey found that the majority have thought about bailing out of their careers over the legislation, which was upheld last month by the Supreme Court.

Even if doctors do not quit their jobs over the ruling, America will face a shortage of at least 90,000 doctors by 2020. The new health care law increases demand for physicians by expanding insurance coverage. This change will exacerbate the current shortage as more Americans live past 65.

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Elderly, Vulnerable Losing Homes Over Just Few Hundred Dollars In Back Taxes

(AP) WASHINGTON - The elderly and other vulnerable homeowners are losing their homes because they owe as little as a few hundred dollars in back taxes, according to a report from a consumer group.

Outdated state laws allow big banks and other investors to reap windfall profits by buying the houses for a pittance and reselling them, the National Consumer Law Center said in a report being released Tuesday.

Local governments can seize and sell a home if the owner falls behind on property taxes and fees. The process helps governments make ends meet at a time when low property values and the weak economy are squeezing tax revenue.

But tax debts as small as $400 can cause people to lose their homes because of arcane laws and misinformation among consumers, says John Rao, the report's author and an attorney with NCLC.

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Christie: $tuff it, O

No more public workers — please!

That was New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s alarmed reaction to President Obama’s push to send states another dose of stimulus money to hire teachers, firefighters and police.

“Please don’t send me any more money to hire more public employees. Please don’t,” implored Christie yesterday in a speech at the Brookings Institute, a liberal Washington think tank.

“I’ve got plenty as it is, and I don’t need any more, and they’re expensive!” said the brash governor, who won a hard-fought showdown with teachers unions over benefits and pensions.

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